CUTLASS What are my options?
- Thread starter nycutlass
- Start date
The build sheet is double duty. More than that, but mainly two things. It's a planning tool for the Assembly Division for vehicle orders to equip the car with the right options to fulfill a dealer order. It's also was needed for the workers to know what equipment was to be used on the car. This was SUPER-IMPORTANT since the build sheets are what the line workers used to grab the right parts from the right bins. Of course, when the parts supply forklift delivered the gaylords and/or bins of different parts or part assemblies to the assembly line, they needed to be separated and marked accordingly so the right part got snagged when needed.
It also helped plan for just-in-time manufacturing to ensure they order enough of the right parts from the vendors to make sure they have enough to keep the line moving. Logistics. Weak hypothetical- if suddenly 400 orders came in for Cutlass Calais, then they had to make sure they ordered enough emblems and door panels, sway bars and whatever else needed to make a Supreme into a Calais and had them ready by the time they got the builds planned. If the weakest link vendor could only supply 50 per week of a required part by contract, then they'd plan to build 50 Calais this week, and 50 next 7 weeks. If they could do more, they would urge the vendors to maybe up the ante and provide more parts sooner, but the whole supply chain was choreographed like a symphony so the worker could get the right part for the right car at the right time.
Workers were usually pretty good at their jobs. For example, when they see upper rear control arm "XR" on the build sheet, they grab a couple of upper control arms out of the "XR" marked bin and slap 'em on. And move on to the next part, or car, depending on how many parts they had to put on the car. Build sheets normally used a 3-number or two-letter code to signify the parts. The codes matched up with part numbers if cross-referenced. The 3 numbers were the last 3 numbers of the engineering part number. Which we all know engineering part numbers COULD match the catalog part number the parts guy uses to order parts, or it may not. Regardless, the line workers knew which part to get and install based on the car's options. The real issue? The consumer should NEVER see the build sheet. Usually there's about 20 gazillion build sheets printed for each car. Ok, maybe not that many, but plenty. They taped them on the cars, or wherever they put them for the workers to see. Once done, though, some were tossed in the cars by workers, stuffed in the seats, under the carpet, above the headliner, or on top of the gas tank, or just about anywhere. After 1985, though, it seemed like the broadcast sheets were utilized more and build sheets took a back seat. I've honestly never seen an 86 or 87 442 build sheet. I've seen later Canadian build sheets on cars built in Canada, but for those years, nothing from Pontiac plant. Interesting tidbit, GM plant in Ste. Therese usually put a build sheet in the Camaros/Firebirds' glove boxes they built there until 2002. I say usually because I didn't get one in my 2002 Camaro SS. Whut?
Can you get a replacement build sheet? Likely not. GM didn't keep records like that very long. Now, they kept Oldsmobile records, but for earlier than 1977, then no. Apparently there was some catastrophic event that lost the paper records for those cars. But the GM History Center does have access ($$) to get records for your 78-88 A/G-body Olds. I've only been able to get ONE build sheet reprint after the car was built and that was for the 2002 Camaro. I asked the plant manager if they could send me one and they did about a month after delivery. Sent it by FedEx. It was kind of a special occasion so I figured I'd ask, and he obviously had the pull to make that happen.
Unfortunately, the records available are limited to invoices, which shows build dates, ship dates, prices, and to which dealer, order number, VIN and other pertinent info. Plus maybe a few other pieces of info. Not the info you seek, most likely. GM Canada didn't have the loss of paperwork, I think. They do have records that go back further, but only if the car was built in Canada. Plus they give you a typed out paper showing the options on your car when built. However, I wouldn't always trust records put on a letterhead. For example, when I went to Helen Earley many moons ago for info on my 84 H/O, I was told in a letter it was #23 or something like that. When I talked to Judy Badgley, it turns out Helen made a mistake and the records showed my car was actually 84 H/O #19.
Your BEST bet is if you can find someone that 1) has an 83 equipped like yours and 2) has the build sheet intact, at least in those "missing" areas.
Build sheets are the real "birth certificate" of a vehicle. I considered replicating them, and I did make a couple of prototypes for myself so I could likely do it, but then you start running down that potential road of someone trying to fake a car. Build sheets and broadcast cards are used as sort of a gold standard for things like documenting older Oldsmobiles. And they weren't supposed to be available to the consumer anyway. But the problem with cars built in Lansing, they always cleaned the cars out rather well, so a Lansing build sheet is virtually non-existent. So yeah, I'd do a window sticker replica, as there's no way anyone would think my replicas were real window stickers, espeicially when people get those unavailble options of LS1, Hurst shifters, and such, but I won't even get into replicating build sheets.
It also helped plan for just-in-time manufacturing to ensure they order enough of the right parts from the vendors to make sure they have enough to keep the line moving. Logistics. Weak hypothetical- if suddenly 400 orders came in for Cutlass Calais, then they had to make sure they ordered enough emblems and door panels, sway bars and whatever else needed to make a Supreme into a Calais and had them ready by the time they got the builds planned. If the weakest link vendor could only supply 50 per week of a required part by contract, then they'd plan to build 50 Calais this week, and 50 next 7 weeks. If they could do more, they would urge the vendors to maybe up the ante and provide more parts sooner, but the whole supply chain was choreographed like a symphony so the worker could get the right part for the right car at the right time.
Workers were usually pretty good at their jobs. For example, when they see upper rear control arm "XR" on the build sheet, they grab a couple of upper control arms out of the "XR" marked bin and slap 'em on. And move on to the next part, or car, depending on how many parts they had to put on the car. Build sheets normally used a 3-number or two-letter code to signify the parts. The codes matched up with part numbers if cross-referenced. The 3 numbers were the last 3 numbers of the engineering part number. Which we all know engineering part numbers COULD match the catalog part number the parts guy uses to order parts, or it may not. Regardless, the line workers knew which part to get and install based on the car's options. The real issue? The consumer should NEVER see the build sheet. Usually there's about 20 gazillion build sheets printed for each car. Ok, maybe not that many, but plenty. They taped them on the cars, or wherever they put them for the workers to see. Once done, though, some were tossed in the cars by workers, stuffed in the seats, under the carpet, above the headliner, or on top of the gas tank, or just about anywhere. After 1985, though, it seemed like the broadcast sheets were utilized more and build sheets took a back seat. I've honestly never seen an 86 or 87 442 build sheet. I've seen later Canadian build sheets on cars built in Canada, but for those years, nothing from Pontiac plant. Interesting tidbit, GM plant in Ste. Therese usually put a build sheet in the Camaros/Firebirds' glove boxes they built there until 2002. I say usually because I didn't get one in my 2002 Camaro SS. Whut?
Can you get a replacement build sheet? Likely not. GM didn't keep records like that very long. Now, they kept Oldsmobile records, but for earlier than 1977, then no. Apparently there was some catastrophic event that lost the paper records for those cars. But the GM History Center does have access ($$) to get records for your 78-88 A/G-body Olds. I've only been able to get ONE build sheet reprint after the car was built and that was for the 2002 Camaro. I asked the plant manager if they could send me one and they did about a month after delivery. Sent it by FedEx. It was kind of a special occasion so I figured I'd ask, and he obviously had the pull to make that happen.
Unfortunately, the records available are limited to invoices, which shows build dates, ship dates, prices, and to which dealer, order number, VIN and other pertinent info. Plus maybe a few other pieces of info. Not the info you seek, most likely. GM Canada didn't have the loss of paperwork, I think. They do have records that go back further, but only if the car was built in Canada. Plus they give you a typed out paper showing the options on your car when built. However, I wouldn't always trust records put on a letterhead. For example, when I went to Helen Earley many moons ago for info on my 84 H/O, I was told in a letter it was #23 or something like that. When I talked to Judy Badgley, it turns out Helen made a mistake and the records showed my car was actually 84 H/O #19.
Your BEST bet is if you can find someone that 1) has an 83 equipped like yours and 2) has the build sheet intact, at least in those "missing" areas.
Build sheets are the real "birth certificate" of a vehicle. I considered replicating them, and I did make a couple of prototypes for myself so I could likely do it, but then you start running down that potential road of someone trying to fake a car. Build sheets and broadcast cards are used as sort of a gold standard for things like documenting older Oldsmobiles. And they weren't supposed to be available to the consumer anyway. But the problem with cars built in Lansing, they always cleaned the cars out rather well, so a Lansing build sheet is virtually non-existent. So yeah, I'd do a window sticker replica, as there's no way anyone would think my replicas were real window stickers, espeicially when people get those unavailble options of LS1, Hurst shifters, and such, but I won't even get into replicating build sheets.
Here's a white with blue interior 83 Supreme build sheet. A CANADIAN one, as told by the VIN starting with a 2. Should be like yours since yours appears to be a Candadian build as well. Several of the blocks seem to match what your missing ones are. Not sure about the codes in them though. The Rear bumper shocks are indeed EY for yours and this one. Wheels are definitely different as these are black steel wheels where yours are beige Super Stocks it appears.
yes my car is a Canada build car. maybe i will just take a photo copy of mine and use that to place in my car when i do my car meets. i found my parts car build sheet in the drivers door panel, the huge hole in the middle is from the window switch. maybe i should be just grateful i found the build sheet. wish my high school cutlass had a build sheet. it doesn't appear I'm missing to much infor on mine.
Last edited:
Yep, you could do that, and stash the original somewhere safe. It's better to do that than risk something happening to the real deal. But does it matter all that much? Only a handful of people might even know what it is, I'm betting.
Similar threads
